Red Wine Extract Prevents Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in ARPE-19 Retinal Cells

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most commonly occurring ocular diseases worldwide. This degenerative condition affects the retina and leads to the loss of central vision. The current treatments are focused on the late stage of the disease, but recent studies have highlighted the importance and benefits of preventive treatments and how good dietary habits can reduce the risk of progression to an advanced form of the disease. In this context, we studied whether resveratrol (RSV) or a polyphenolic cocktail, red wine extract (RWE), are able to prevent the initiating events of AMD (i.e., oxidative stress and inflammation) in human ARPE-19 retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and macrophages. This study highlights that RWE and RSV can prevent hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) or 2,2'-Azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced oxidative stress and can subsequently prevent DNA damage via the inhibition of the ATM (ataxia telangiectasia-mutated)/Chk2 (checkpoint kinase 2) or Chk1 signaling pathways, respectively. Moreover, ELISA assays show that RWE and RSV can prevent the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in RPE cells and in human macrophages. Interestingly, RWE exhibits a greater protective impact compared to RSV alone, even though RSV was more concentrated when used alone than in the red wine extract. Our results suggest that RWE and RSV may have potential interest as preventive nutritional supplementations against AMD.